Glomalin production by two Glomeral fungi in symbiosis with corn plant under different Pb levels

Glomalin is a specific glycoprotein which produced by the fungi belonging to the order Glomerales in phylum Glomeromycota.. Given the widespread symbiotic relation of these fungi with a large number of plants, considerable amount of glomalin is entered to the soil ecosystems, annually. Heavy metals can influence the both symbionts physiology and hence glomalin production by the fungi. In this study, the effects of Pb levels were investigated on mycorrhizal establishment in maize plants inoculated by either Glomus mosseae or G.intraradices as well as glomalin production by the system. Lead levels of 0, 500 and 1000 mg Pb. kg -1 soil (as Pb(NO3)2) were applied to the pots before plant culture. Non-mycorrhizal treatment was left un inoculated as control. Eeasily extractable glomalin (EEG) and total glomalin (TG) were determined by the Bradford method after extraction from soil. With increasing Pb concentration in soil, shoot and root fresh and dry weights, P concentration in shoot and root, root colonization, EEG and TG decreased and proline concentration in leaves, Pb concentration in shoot and root increased. The results showed that, glomalin levels in fungal treatments significantly increased compared to the Non-mycorrhizal control. The result also showed a positive correlation between the measured glomalin and the percent of root colonization. (Shaabani Zenoozagh Vahideh, Aliasgharzad Nasser, Oustan Shahin. Glomalin production by two Glomeral fungi in symbiosis with corn plant under different Pb levels. J Am Sci 2013;9 (4s):178-186). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org. 28